Business practices, racial justice, and human rights
By Aseem
I contemplate more questions and thoughts about how business is conducted in South Africa and how it differs from the US, the UK, and India, where I have lived/worked
Robots are traffic signals. Lekker is slang for cool. After scrolling over the Afrikaans and Xhosa words and slang most used in Jo’burg and the rest of South Africa, I am filled with excitement and gratitude for the incredible opportunity to finally visit this spectacular country as well as work with companies that are addressing current inequities related to diversity and skills building.
My interest in South Africa began at the age of ten when I was introduced to the history of apartheid most innocently through the Disney movie The Color of Friendship. This sparked an interest in the ongoing issues of racial justice and human rights that South Africa has and continues to confront. By reading Cry the Beloved Country and the works of other figureheads like Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, I developed a more advanced look at the issues regarding equality in South Africa. Also, as someone of Indian descent, I have found it especially interesting to learn about Mahatma Gandhi’s life in South Africa and how it sparked him to start the Indian independence movement. And more personally as someone who identifies as gay, the extensive progress South Africa has made in recent years on legislation related to LGBTQ equality. Each of these points illustrates my continued fascination with South Africa.
After starting my MBA at the Questrom, I was quick to jump at the opportunity to travel to and work on a consulting project in Johannesburg. The project will address how a non-profit organization, based in Johannesburg, can expand their current public-private-partnership trainings within South Africa and the rest of the African Union. Upon finding out about this project assignment, I promptly opted to work on it. I had just accepted an internship with IBM in their Human Relations department, so focusing on human capital development seemed like a great segway. I also began working on an executive profile for a company focused on Human Relations consulting specializing in diversity and inclusion, for the same reasons as the non-profit organization. While researching the work that this non-profit organization does, I found myself enthralled and humbled by the skills based training for public-private partnerships which have lead to numerous infrastructure projects including the North South Rail Corridor and Strategic Water Partners Network. Additionally, I am incredibly excited to see the companies that my fellow students are consulting with including for-profit organizations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
As I finished working on the presentation my team will present to representatives of the non-profit organization, I contemplate more questions and thoughts about how business is conducted in South Africa and how it differs from the US, the UK, and India, where I have lived/worked. How will the dark history of apartheid coincide with the business world in Johannesburg? And most importantly, what sorts of experiences will I bring back to my life in the US and at Questrom?